Hot Topics:

Hot-dog purveyor also park watchdog

By Michael Hartwell, mhartwell@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
08/10/2014 06:50:22 AM EDT

Mike "Murph" Murphy serves hot dogs from his stand at the Bartlett Pond Conservation Area on Route 117 in Lancaster. Murphy has been working to keep the area around the pond clean. Kim Richmond, a neighbor of Murphy, helps out.
SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / Ashley Green

Sentinel and Enterprise staff photos can be ordered by visiting our SmugMug site.

LANCASTER -- Mike Murphy is making things clean and telling dirty jokes at the same time.

Known as "Murph" to his friends and customers, he's a hot-dog vendor who is being credited by town officials with cleaning up the Bartlett Pond Conservation Area parking area.

At Tuesday's selectmen's meeting, Selectman Jean Syria referenced a letter they received from a Lancaster resident that was critical of allowing a private company, Murph's Hot Dogs, to operate out of a public parking area. In response, she and the other selectmen praised Murphy for maintaining the park and clearing out the riffraff.

Murphy also got accolades from executive assistant Kathy Lamb and Police Chief Kevin Lamb, who said his presence discourages illicit activity, such as drug users.

Syria wouldn't say the words at the meeting, but Murphy filled in the missing details. People had also been using the woods behind the parking lot for anonymous sex, often married men looking to find other men on the side. That activity has since stopped.

Every Monday through Saturday, Murphy, 55, drives an old postal truck he converted into a food truck to the park location on Route 117. He arrives around 9 a.m. and picks up trash on and around the picnic tables that people left the previous evening. He also mows the grass when it needs it.

By 9:30 a.m., a line of eager hot-dog fans will have formed, many of whom have been customers from when he started 10 years ago.

"I must be doing something right," said Murphy.

Advertisement

He's a retired mechanical engineer who was inspired by seeing constant long lines at a local hot dog stand growing up.

He had intended to retire to start his own business at age 50, but at age 46 the tech company he worked for was sold and he decided to get started.

He sells steamed hot dogs, chips, soda and a few frozen novelties. No hamburgers, sausages or french fries.

"I can't be flipping burgers when I'm working with customers," said Murph. He said other prepared foods are too labor-intensive and would make it harder for him to run the stand.

He mostly works alone, but a neighbor, Kim Richmond, 22, assists him at times. She's been earning more responsibilities and now handles soda, chips and the register when she's there.

"He treats everyone like he's known them forever," said Richmond. Murphy likes to tell dirty jokes to adult customers, and his longtime customers tell them right back.

Dan Goderre, 29, of Ashburnham, has been going to Murph's Hot Dogs for eight or nine years. He said he plans his driving routes around it. Thursday he stopped in for two taco dogs and a Molly dog, which is the best-selling hot dog. It was designed by Murphy's daughter, Molly, and features a layer of Doritos.

"Murph is a funny guy, and the dogs are easy to eat," said Goderre. He said other places have soggy buns or the ingredients spill out, but Murphy's always go down perfect. He said the chili Murphy makes for the taco dogs is what keeps him coming back for more.

When Mary Nys, 46, of Gardner, gets out of her car, Murphy greets her by a nickname, "Lovemuffin."

"I love the smiles and the jokes," said Nys. She's been a customer for six years and apologized to Murphy for not stopping by in the previous few weeks because she was away on vacation.

Murphy is proud that he's kept the price on ice cream sandwiches at 50 cents for the past decade.

"It drives people crazy, they go bonkers. They never see anything like it and don't know how I can do it," he said.

Murphy said a decade ago they cost him about 9 to 11 cents each for him to buy, but now they cost around 22 cents. He leans a big sign against the truck each day advertising the cheap ice cream sandwiches to drivers and said they all notice the low price within a few passes.

Most days Lancaster Police Officer Jose Miletti stops by the park and talks to Murphy.

"He's responsible for the safety and cleanliness of this park," said Miletti. "He made the place appropriate for families and the community loves him."

Murphy said some of the credit belongs to Tully Disposal & Recycling, a Lancaster company he calls to pick up large dumped items like mattresses in the park. He said he loves what he does and plans to keep doing it as long as he can.

"They'll probably find me dead inside this truck," he said.

Follow Michael Hartwell at facebook.com/ michaelhartwell or on Twitter or Tout @Sehartwell.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.